Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Friday took stock of the country’s defence readiness in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in view of China’s growing influence in the far seas with moving warships in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
On his final day of the trip to the Islands, Siungh visited the Indira Point where he encouraged the troops to continue protecting the national interests in the region.
Indira Point is along the Great Channel, popularly referred to as the ‘Six Degree Channel’, which is a major shipping lane for international traffic.
A strong presence of the armed forces equips India to better discharge its responsibility of being a net security provider in the region.
En route, the Union Minister halted at the Car Nicobar Island and Campbell Bay, where he was apprised of the ground situation.
He also interacted with the joint services troops of Andaman and Nicobar Command, lauding them for serving the country with unmatched bravery and commitment.
The defence minister was familiarised with the terrain of the Southern Group of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He also paid a visit to INS Baaz and interacted with troops.
Singh on Thursday visited the Headquarters of Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair where he reviewed the operational preparedness of the command and infrastructure development at operational areas.
This is the first visit of the Defence Minister to Indira Point since January 2019. Apart from the strategic signalling in view of the proximity of these far-flung islands to the Indo-Pacific, the visit of the minister to A&N Command motivated the troops deployed in these distant and remote islands.
Notably, the A&N Command is a 21-year-old successful Integrated Theatre Command which is now being planned at the national level.